A/N: Sorry for the delay in getting this posted. I've spent the entire weekend helping my mother move, and I gotta say, I hate moving in summer. It's too hot and humid, and it turns me into a big whiner. Lol. Anyway, a huge thanks to you all for reading/reviewing. Also, a huge thanks to my beta, Heather, for being an awesome beta.
"I can't believe that girl," Dad said fifty some minutes later after he'd taken Tanya's statement and given her a serious lecture. "I think she needs counseling. I told her parents that as well, but who knows if they'll listen to me."
"So what happens now?" I asked him.
"If James ends up going to trial for the burglary charge, we can bring her in to testify as a character witness against him, but since she claims she didn't have any actual knowledge of the break in, there's not much we can do to her."
"Do you think there will be a trial?" Edward asked from behind us, and Dad shook his head.
"The evidence is pretty solid against James, but we'll have to wait until his arraignment hearing tomorrow morning to find out if he pleads guilty or not."
"How long will he get if he's found guilty?" I asked, and Dad told us that James would probably only end up doing anywhere between three to nine months in jail, paying restitution, and maybe ending up with community service.
"That just doesn't seem like enough," Edward muttered, and I agreed with him.
"I know," Dad said, nodding. "But that's the law."
By the time Dad and I arrived home, it was a little after six, and I was exhausted from the events of the day. I still hadn't been able to figure out what the hell Tanya had been thinking or why she'd suddenly had a change of heart, but I was just glad that the drama with her was done and over with. At least, I hoped it was.
I also hoped like hell that the drama with James would be coming to an end. Maybe he'd learn his lesson after being arrested, but I wasn't holding my breath. He'd been arrested before, and that certainly hadn't stopped him from continuing to get into trouble.
I told Dad I was going to my room to try and relax a bit before making dinner.
"I'll just order something for us. Chinese sound good?" he asked, and I nodded, grateful that I wouldn't have to cook. Not that I had to. I enjoyed cooking, but I just wasn't in the mood to do it.
Once I was upstairs in my room, I pulled up my email and wrote my mom, filling her in on everything that had happened. Dad had kept her up-to-date on what had been happening with James and Tanya, so I wanted to fill her in on the latest. I knew she'd be relieved that things seemed to be settling down, but I wondered why I didn't feel all that relieved. I guess my mind was having a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that the majority of the drama I'd been dealing with for months had stopped.
"So, he plead guilty?" Angela asked me at lunch the following week, and I nodded my head.
"Yeah, his attorney advised him to since there was substantial evidence tying him to the burglary at our house."
"So, for how long is he in jail?" Ben asked, and they all shared equal looks of disgust when I told them that the judge had only given James six months. My dad had been pissed about it as well and had pretty much told James that if he showed his face around Forks again, he'd lock him up for good. I was fairly certain Dad meant it.
"Oh, and Tanya apologized to Edward and me for all the drama she caused," I commented, and they're mouths dropped open.
I spent a few minutes explaining what she'd said and how Dad had taken her statement, but Angela wasn't convinced that Tanya was on the up and up. Only time would tell.
"Enough talk about James and Tanya! Let's talk about prom!" Eric said, his eyes lighting up, and he eerily looked like Alice.
"What's there to talk about?" I asked. "It's prom. You dress up, you listen to crappy music, you dance, you get your picture taken, and you may or may not lose your virginity."
Angela and Ben cracked up, but Eric wasn't amused.
"Are you just going to Edward's prom or ours as well?" he asked, and I realized that Edward and I had never actually discussed that part. I had just assumed we were going to his since he'd asked me.
"Um … I don't know," I said before pulling out my phone and sending Edward a text asking him. Our proms were on the same night, but I wasn't sure we needed to go to both of them. I only had one dress after all, and I sure as hell wasn't going shopping for another.
I was thinking mine, but we can go to yours if you want or hit up both, he wrote back a few minutes later, and I responded telling him that I didn't care to whose we went , but I wasn't doing both.
We texted back and forth until the end of lunch before finally deciding to just go to the prom at his school. Who knew deciding that would be so freaking difficult?
I informed Eric, Angela, and Ben that we would be going to Port Angeles High's prom, and Angela pouted a bit.
"We could always hang out afterward," I suggested. "Alice said she was planning on having an after prom party at their house, and you all know that she wouldn't care if you came over."
Agreeing, our prom plans were finalized, and we all went our separate ways as we had different classes. After the last bell rang for the day, I saw Lauren coming my way as I was putting away some books in my locker.
I didn't even bother to hold back my sigh,as I turned to confront her.
"What do you want?" I asked.
"To apologize," she mumbled, and I blinked a few times. Apparently, apologies were just all the rage this week.
"I'm sorry for being such a bitch. I had a long talk with Jessica and Tanya, and I realize that I've been a bit immature about things."
It was such a half-assed apology, but I honestly didn't even care.
"Fine, you've apologized," I told her, slamming my locker door shut. "Just stay out of my way and stop with the drama."
That said, I made my way down the hall and out the front door of the school, calling Edward as I made my way toward the jeep.
"It has been one hell of a strange week," I said as I explained that Lauren had apologized to me.
"Think she meant it?" he asked, and I told him that I didn't really care. I was sick of all of it, and I just wanted the rest of the school year to be spent in peace.
The rest of the month flew by, and there had been no more incidents of drama. Both Lauren and Tanya had kept their distance from me, and James was locked away for the next six months. It was nice to have a peaceful month with no worries.
Although, prom was fast approaching, and for reasons unknown, I found myself starting to get nervous. It was so stupid. It wasn't like I hadn't gone on a ton of dates with Edward, and it wasn't like everyone didn't know we were in a serious relationship. I think perhaps it was the whole "what happens after prom" that was making me a bit nervous. I wasn't planning on sleeping with Edward, but it almost seemed like it was expected, and I was afraid that Edward was going to expect that.
"What is wrong with you?" Alice asked as we got ready for prom. She was doing my hair, and I couldn't sit still to save my life.
"Nothing," I muttered, picking at the hole in my jeans.
"Liar," she scoffed. "Something is obviously going on with you. Why are you acting all nervous?"
"I don't know!" I snapped before letting out a huge breath and apologizing to her. "I am a little nervous."
"Why?" Rose asked as she flipped through a magazine.
"WhatifEdwardexpectsmetosleepwithhim!" I blurted out, and Alice set down the brush and came around to face me asking me to repeat what I'd just said.
"Did he say something to make you think that?" Alice asked, and I shook my head.
"No, I'm just being stupid," I told her.
"Bella, Edward would never make you do anything you're not ready to do," Rose said, looking up from the magazine in her hands. "He's a gentleman, and you know he just wants for you to be happy."
"I know," I said. "I'm just afraid that everyone else will be doing it, and that he'll expect us to do it, too."
"Edward isn't one to follow what others are doing. Besides, the two of you are coming back here for my after party, and no one is allowed upstairs, so there will be no hanky panky going on. Plus, Mom and Dad will be here," Alice told me in a firm voice, and I couldn't help but giggle at hearing her use the words hanky panky.
"Just how big is this party going to be?" I asked.
"Just us, Angela, Ben, Eric, and his date. That's it," she said with a shrug. "I had a huge party last year, but it wasn't all that fun, so I'm keeping it small this year."
I sighed with relief. I'd been afraid it was going to be some giant-ass party with a bunch of people I didn't know, and I wasn't one for large parties.
Almost three hours later, we were dressed and ready for our big reveal to the guys and our parents were waiting for us downstairs.
As we made our way down the stairs, I held onto the bannister, terrified that I'd fall and ruin the grand entrance. Thankfully, I was able to maintain my balance, and when I looked up once I set foot on the bottom step, I saw Edward's face, and it almost took my breath away. He was looking at me like I was the most beautiful woman in the world, and at that moment, I felt like I was.
"Wow," he said softly as I made my way over to him, and I felt a blush creeping up my cheeks.
"You look beautiful," he said, placing a gentle kiss on my cheek, and I told him how handsome he looked.
We spent thirty minutes taking pictures and being fussed over, and there was even a quick Skype call with my mom before it was time for us to leave.
The boys had rented a limo to take us to the prom, and I couldn't contain my grin as I climbed into it. I'd never before ridden in a limo before, and I decided it was something I could get used to as we drove.
All too soon, we were pulling up in front of the school and being let out.
Clasping Edward's hand tightly, I followed the others into the Port Angeles High gym and let out a gasp when I saw the decorations. I'd been expecting something sort of cheesy, but this was classy and extremely well done.
"Wow! This looks great!" I said, and Alice beamed as she informed me that she and the prom committee had worked their asses off to make sure it looked good.
The six of us found a table in a corner and claimed it as ours, and then we took turns getting our pictures taken.
Before long, the music started and people were out on the dance floor. Alice grabbed my hand as well as Rose's and dragged us onto the floor.
I felt incredibly awkward as I attempted to move my hips like Alice and Rose were doing, but dancing wasn't something I was particularly good at.
"Just relax, Bella," Alice said loudly over the music. "Forget about anyone else, and just have fun."
She was right. I was there to have fun with my boyfriend and our friends, so who cared what anyone else thought?
At one point, Uptown Funk came on, and the boys joined us on the dance floor. We all went insane, jumping around and dancing like lunatics. It was a blast, and I grinned at Edward's ridiculous dance moves. He was almost as bad as I was.
For most of the night, the six of us ruled the dance floor, dancing in a group, laughing, and having a good time. Of course, when the slow music came on, I was all Edward's, and I loved being in his arms.
The final song of the night was Etta James' At Last, and everyone seemed to couple off. It was one of my favorites, and being in Edward's arms made the song that much more romantic.
I wasn't ready to let him go even after the song ended, so I stayed in his arms until Alice told us it was time to go.
We took the limo back to the Cullen's house where we were greeted by Esme. She had taken it upon herself to order us a ton of pizza as well as laying out bowls of chips and dip and plates of cookies.
The others arrived an hour later, and we all changed into sweats and comfy clothes before returning to the living room for our party.
We stayed up until the early hours of the morning before crashing and falling asleep, sprawled across the living room floor and furniture.